This invention relates to computer user interfaces and more specifically to a parallel graphical user interface for a digital computer.
The advent of the computer age saw users struggling with text based interfaces to manage and use a computer. The introduction of graphical user interfaces simplified computer use and prompted many people to buy and use computers. Generally, a computer has a single xe2x80x9cprimaryxe2x80x9d graphical user interface and all other programs run under it. As computer processor speed and complexity has increased it has become possible for computers and their displays to handle more and more tasks simultaneously as illustrated by the growth of multitasking applications. There is no more reason for a computer user to be limited to a single graphical user interface for computer control and interaction.
What is needed is a parallel graphical user interface that may be used with conventional user interfaces to allow a computer user to exploit the capability of conventional displays and processors with a minimal impact on the functionality of the conventional user interfaces.
In a first aspect, the present invention includes a parallel graphical user interface (GUI) modeled as a dial tuning metaphor. This provides an intuitive interface that remains useable in spaces with high aspect ratios for convenient use in parallel with another more conventional GUI to increase the efficiency of a users computer experience.
In another aspect of the present invention, a GUI according to the present invention may operate in display areas having aspect ratios of 3:1 or greater.
These and other features and advantages of this invention will become further apparent from the detailed description and accompanying figures that follow. In the figures and description, numerals indicate the various features of the invention, like numerals referring to like features throughout both the drawings and the description.